College Advancement

College Donor Recognition: How Strategic Recognition Increases Donor Engagement and Giving

• Admin
• Donor engagement , College advancement

College advancement teams face a fundamental challenge in 2025: alumni giving participation rates have dropped from 18% in 2009 to just 8.5% in 2021, according to the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). At the same time, higher education institutions report that gifts to American colleges and universities totaled $61.5 billion in fiscal year 2024, a 3% increase from the previous year. This paradox reveals a critical truth: while fewer donors are giving, those who remain engaged are giving more generously than ever before.